Great South Bay Scooter Rehab - SEA TRIALS AT LAST !

Steve Sanford

Steve Sanford

Well-known member
All~

I wrestled with the title for this tale - which will be a long one....

I brought this boat back from Long Island last winter - almost a year to the day that I rolled it into my shop (shortly after rolling out a VanSant Sneakbox - another delinquent tale). A good friend wants me to get this Scooter back into serviceable condition - sort of a quick-and-dirty repair/rehab - NOT a museum quality restoration. (I happened to have an empty northbound boat trailer, so home it came.)

CLICK images to enlarge.

View attachment sm MS 01 A - Paul with Scooter - 8 January 2017.JPG

I do not recall the whole back story on this vessel. It has changed ownership numerous times, has been repaired previously, and - most important - got harmed grievously during a recent storm. I do not know whether it was Superstorm/Hurricane Sandy or another big tide event, but the boat was afloat beneath a dock as the tide rose. The dock framing seems to have exerted itself on the port coaming and broke some of the ribs and so collapsed the deck.

Here she is after a year enjoying the farm....yearning for a warm spot next to the stove. You'll have to admit: She hides well in the snow.

View attachment sm MS 01.JPG

She finally got called for "intake" yesterday morning.

View attachment sm MS 02.JPG

The tarp had kept moisture and varmints out of her for the past 12 months.

View attachment sm MS 03 B.JPG

Although the swirly paint job is not traditional, I believe she was built before WW II. She is typical of Scooters built for open water "layout" gunning - for Broadbill. She would have been towed out and tended by a larger vessel. After batteries were outlawed in the 1930s, Great South Bay gunners shot from Scooters instead. Those made for this purpose were beamier than the early (true) Scooters. They did not need oars or sails and most did not have ice runners on their bottoms.

View attachment sm MS 03.JPG

Although there is a towing eye right on the nose, I was surprised to see no fairleads on either end. Also, a round - not pointed - bow is unusual.

View attachment sm MS 04.JPG

The rounded "fantail" hides the boat from incoming Broadbill - they do not see a traditional upright transom.

View attachment sm MS 05.JPG

I stapled a cheap tarp taut to the decks (over a ridge pole) - because I knew most of the deck would either be cut away or ground and resurfaced.

View attachment sm MS 07.JPG

The White Oak rubrails are a great addition. Open bay Scooters often bang up against the "mother ship" or other tender when switching gunners, et cetera.

View attachment sm MS 08.JPG

This hollow down the midline of the foredeck shows a framing failure.

View attachment sm MS 09.JPG

Tale continues in my REPLY



 
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Episode 1, Scene II

The stern needs lots of attention. This is one one the few spots where I have found a break in the 'glass skin.


View attachment sm MS 10.JPG

With 67 acres, you might think I could store this vessel where it would not be hit by my tractor bucket when fetching firewood.....ssssiiggghhh.....

Of course, it's my trailer. (Luckily, Santa Claus brought me a new taillight.)

View attachment sm MS 11.JPG

Once I rolled her into the shop - right after I installed the new taillight and the 2018 license plate sticker - the first job was to lift the boat off the trailer. So, I made up a pair of blocks to screw (temporarily) to the bow and stern.

View attachment sm MS 12.JPG

The chain hoists make the job easy - and allow my back to keeping working for duck seasons to come.

View attachment sm MS 13.JPG

The floor and the saw horses are dead-level - which helps with jobs like this.

View attachment sm MS 14.JPG

The stern is decidedly NOT dead-level. Which is why I pondered over the title of this tale. Twisted Sister? Wild Torque-y? Richard III ?

View attachment sm MS 15.JPG

The aft coaming is very close to level. (Like most of my gunning partners - just a half-bubble off....)

View attachment sm MS 16.JPG

I could not wrestle the coaming back into its original position. But, you can see the collapsed/crushed port deck area.

View attachment sm MS 17.JPG

In any event, the coaming is not long for this world. The Sawzall awaits off-camera.....

View attachment sm MS 18.JPG

The demolition was not surgically precise - because I did not need to save any of the framing around the cockpit.

View attachment sm MS 19.JPG

Tale continues in my REPLY


 
Episode 1, Scene III

Close inspection revealed all traditional construction - prior to earlier repairs. The hull is batten-seam White Cedar planking over White Oak frames. Because the hull sections are so flat, I imagine no steaming was needed during construction. Many of the frames have been "sistered" - and many of the originals are now either punky or missing altogether.

The deck is carvel-planked White Cedar over bent (aka steamed) White Oak frames (ribs).

View attachment sm MS 20.JPG

Many of the deck frames were sheathed with 'glass during an earlier repair. The deck planking is quarter-inch thick (or thin?). Before this vessel was 'glassed, the decks were probably covered with painted canvas.

The white-painted longitudinals serve as keelsons (although not over the keel) - to stiffen the hull lengthwise. They are not original.

View attachment sm MS 21.JPG

This is the view forward - beneath the long foredeck.

View attachment sm MS 22.JPG

After a bit of vacuuming you can more clearly see the battens that were clench-nailed over each hull seam. The battens are quarter-inch thick. I do not yet know how thick the hull planking is - but 3/8-inch is likely.

View attachment MS 24.JPG

A thorough vacuuming up forward will wait until I make a new floorboard - so I do not have to lay on all those frames. A week or so next to the stove should dry everything out.


View attachment MS 25.JPG

Some quick measurements show the twist - about 18 inches forward of the stern. The number is height above the shop floor.

View attachment sm MS 26.JPG

I will have to devise a way to reduce that 1-5/8 inch "delta" to zero....

View attachment sm MS 27.JPG

The patient is resting comfortably. Now I need some time to "dope it out" - and figure out how to meet the many challenges.....

View attachment sm MS 28.JPG

The tale continues - when I have the time.

All the best,

SJS






 
Good morning, Tom~

Excellent!

Interesting features: double-ended and mast partners inside the cockpit.

All the best,

SJS
 
Steve, I'm glad you take the time to walk us through your projects. I'm in awe of your boat building tallent, I can't cut a 2x4 straight. I'm looking forward to more posts on this and other projects of yours. Thanks Mike
 
The neat thing is when they we pulled it down from the exhibit the cover was on it. Inside were the spars and sails and a pike pole still there for over 50 years.
 
Ironic, I contacted LIMM last year asking for details for a hunting scooter sail rig. Spoke with Arlene I think.... anyway she said they did not have one and could not offer any details. Tom, can you get pictures and dimensions?
 
Good morning, All~


Tempus fugit.....or....the years just flowed by, like a broken down dam.....


I hauled this vessel north in 2017 - and have put it aside for many other boats and decoys (and houses and camps) in the intervening seasons. Nevertheless, she is now on the horses in the shop and has been getting (sporadic) attention over the last couple of weeks.


I have kept her dry and level - and upgraded the tarp and its frame.


[CLICK any image to enlarge]



View attachment McD 01 - tarped in yard.JPG



Once back inside, I could safely remove the staples and ridgepole/strongback.


View attachment McD 02 tarped in shop.JPG



She is just shy of 14 feet LOA.


View attachment McD 02B - LOA cropped.JPG



Her 5-foot beam makes her a stable shooting platform. With almost no shape to her bottom - little rocker or deadrise - I'll bet she's a bear to tow, however



View attachment McD 02C - Beam.jpg



I had removed her coamings and rubrails last time she was inside.


View attachment McD 07A - side oblique.JPG



The foredeck cleat has been removed - and will get replaced later in the process. The "corrugated" deck is the result of 'glass over traditional carvel construction. The individual planks continue to shrink and swell with changes in moisture content. That bit of character will remain untouched.


View attachment McD 18 - Deck corrugation.JPG



I will reshape the cockpit completely. The existing - which I doubt was original - was too wide and too tall.



View attachment McD B01 - Marking cockpit opening fwd.JPG



Just by intuition, I am also moving the cockpit forward about 6 or 8 inches.



View attachment McD B02 - fwd cockpit extension.JPG



The foot of the cockpit will get narrowed considerably.


View attachment McD B 03 - Aft cockpit width.JPG



Next - trying to get the twist out of her stern.....


SJS



 
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I opened the forward end of the cockpit - with my new friend - the little left-handed skilsaw.



View attachment McD B09 - fwd cockpit opened.JPG





I next began solving The Riddle of the Twisted Fantail with my electric plane - exposing the ends of the deck and bottom planks and the framing. The plane is cleaner than a grinder - and this task was done inside the shop.


View attachment McD B03 - Stern planed off.JPG



Another view of the challenge.....


View attachment McD B06 twist in bottom.JPG



My approach is to build a "cage" around the entire stern and force it back closer to its intended shape. I began by scribing the deck contour - dropping perpendicular measurements every 4 inches. This needs to be just an approximate fit - no cigarette papers needed to check my work.....



View attachment McD B04 - Stern cage - scribing.JPG



I used 2x4s to build a rugged frame.


View attachment McD B05 Stern cage framed 2x4s.JPG



I tacked a temporary spine onto the afterdeck to help keep the cage in place and (more or less) plumb.



View attachment McD B 06 temp spine on afterdeck.JPG



Now to begin the twist.....


The boat is held to the sawhorse with a ratchet strap - but a sharp eye will notice that the horse is slightly airborne.



View attachment McD B08 forced to level.JPG



The starboard side is now lifted by the 1.5-inch thickness of a 2x4.


View attachment McD B07 lift on stbd 1.5.JPG



I will do no more on the stern until I have installed new bulkheads to lock in the shape of the deck and hull.


Stay tuned.....


SJS







 
Fitting bulkheads into an existing boat - especially a decked-over vessel - requires lots of careful measuring....


I began by jacking up the foredeck - being careful to distribute the forces over some temporary blocking so as to avoid creating any hard spots. I gained about 1.5 inches in the crown here - and believe I have restored the original shape.



View attachment B 01 Jacking foredeck.JPG



The reference board extends across the hull - and is marked every 2 inches.


View attachment B 02 Temp deck strut and measuring board.JPG



I then use a perpendicular - but pointed - stick (paint stirrer) to measure up from the upper edge of the reference board.


View attachment B 03 Pointy perpendicular.JPG



One side of the stick gets marked with the port measurements, the other gets the starboard measurements.


View attachment B 04 Elevations above baseline marked.JPG



These measurements are transferred directly onto the 1/2-inch plywood that will become the bulkhead. A smarter builder would use pattern stock instead.....



View attachment B 05 Tools for transferring.JPG



4-penny finishing nails are tacked every third or so point along the deck curve - enough to create a satisfying curve.


View attachment B 06 Elevations measured and transferred.JPG



A springy batten - ripped from PVC lumber in this case - is clamped to each finishing nail.


View attachment B 07 Elevations transferred, pinned and clampoed to batten.JPG



I circled each of the measurements that were the same - i.e., symmetrical - port and starboard. I was pleasantly surprised to see how this boat had kept here shape over the many decades.



View attachment B 08 Circled when symmetrical.JPG



Here everything has been measured and marked.


View attachment B 09 Fully clamped.JPG



Continued....


SJS



 
I like your method of raising the deck. If I was keeping the deck on the Sneakbox that would have given it some crown. The lack of structure precluded a simple fix.

Joe
 
Good morning, Tom et al ~


Work continues - if painstakingly slowly...


Actually, this is the kind of restoration work I enjoy the most. I have a clear idea of where I need to go - but I am just a little uncertain as the best way to get there. My Dad always called the thinking/problem-solving process "doping it out". So, I proceed carefully, never having dealt with such a misshapen vessel. More than once it has occurred to me that building a new Scooter from scratch would be easier and quicker....


In any event, I completed the forward bulkhead. Although I'm sure the original had no bulkheads - and probably not even struts to support the deck - the exceptionally beamy, pancake-like shape needs some helps after her 70 or so years.



View attachment B 13A Fwd bulkhead.JPG



I had to make it in 2 halves in order to get it into place past existing frames. The starboard half will be fastened first and so has Mahogany cleats that extend over to the port side - for later fastening. The half-inch plywood will get sealed with epoxy (later this morning, I hope) prior to installation.



View attachment B 14 Stbd fwd bulkhead.JPG



The next job is to lay out the cockpit framing so I can fit the aft bulkhead - and later 2 pair of quarter-knees. I began by measuring the angle of the deck crown at the cockpit opening so I could bevel the cockpit purlins (the longitudinal frames on either side of the new, narrower cockpit). The rubber bands and level allow me to find plumb.



View attachment B 15 Fwd deck angle for cockpit purlin.JPG



I beveled the temporary deck chocks, too, to hold the purlins during the design/layout phase.


View attachment B 16 Deck chocks for purlins.JPG



Before measuring for the aft bulkhead, I needed to force the aft saw horse down onto the floor. These 2x4 struts were tacked to the horse but just held to the ceiling by friction.


View attachment B 18 Struts to ceiling.JPG



All 4 "hooves" are now firmly on the shop floor.


View attachment B 19 4 feet on floor.JPG



Here the forward bulkhead is temporarily in place and the purlins are held down by the ratchet strap - which mostly keeps the hull tight and level on the forward sawhorse.


View attachment B 20 Bulkhead, purlins, ratchet strap.JPG



This stretcher establishes the 'midships cockpit width at about 28 inches. The cockpit will be about 24 inches wide at its head, 28 in the middle and 18 at its foot. Such cockpit shapes are MUCH more work than rectangular cockpits - but the end result is pleasing to this traditionalist's eye.....


View attachment B 21 Stretcher for cockpit purlins.JPG



I will have to scarf in some quarter-inch plywood to bring the decks up to the new cockpit opening. So, I began by sawing a straight edge to which I can attach the new decking. I beveled the edge to create more glue-bearing surface. This picture shows, too, that I have spent quite a bit of time cleaning up beneath the decks - removing non-functioning frames and any exposed fasteners (screws and tacks).



View attachment B 22 Cleaning opening - sides.JPG



Just a few more photos on the following post.


SJS




View attachment B 15 Fwd deck angle for cockpit purlin.JPG
 
I also needed to square up the aft end of the cockpit opening. I decided to extend the opening aft about 2 inches so I could remove the existing deck frames.



View attachment B 23 Squaring aft opening.JPG



I am hoping this will give me enough flexibility in the stern deck to force it back to a shape that is both closer to original and that is symmetrical.


View attachment B 24 Cleaned after deck opening.JPG





I used pattern stock (1/4-inch underlayment plywood) this time. I measured the starboard side because it looks about right. The port side is obviously distorted and needs to be pulled back into shape.


BTW: The floorboard (duckboard) has been cut to size and shape but is just temporary at this point. It makes working inside the hull much more comfortable than settling my old body across the many floor frames. Ultimately, it will be held in place with a wooden cleat up forward and a turn-button aft. I will not be sure I can keep it as a 1-piece board until the cockpit opening is completed - because I need to be able to get the board in and out of the vessel.



View attachment B 25 Fitting aft bulkhead.JPG



Back to the shop - by way of the kitchen...having friends for dinner tonight.


All the best,


SJS


 
Very interesting, Steve. Thank you for sharing this. I know what you mean about building new being faster than a restoration. I've had the same experience with wood and canvas canoes. You think "I'll get this little rehab done before I finish the new boat that's being planked up". The new boat was in service for a year before the WC was done.

Thanks,
Jim
 
Good morning, Paul~


Glad to hear about the back story. As you craft your words, please conjure up a moniker for this vessel.


All the best,


SJS
 
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